Every Bite

ABC Australia

Exploring culture through food. Each week we serve up a new dish or ingredient, uncovering the rich layers of stories, traditions, and innovations behind it. From the origins and cultural significance to the science and economics of food, we explore how what we eat shapes and is shaped by our world. From humble street food to gourmet delicacies, discover the fascinating narratives that make every bite a story worth telling.

Play

Open in

20 episodes
weekly
Avg 28 min
English

Episodes 20

Newest Oldest Longest

All20 Unplayed20 In progress0 Played0

Friday · 28 min
Iron Curtain cuisine — The foods the state couldn't standardise
Hundreds of millions of people lived behind the Iron Curtain, in the Soviet Union and in allied countries such as Bulgaria. The state controlled many facets of daily life, including food. The rich and varied cuisines of a vast territory were recast in the state's mould, prioritising efficiency, uniformity and nutrition over tradition. So which culinary traditions endured, and how? Did some cuisines thrive or find new expression during these years? And how has this era changed what we eat today?
October 16 · 28 min
The humble spud — Is the potato a hero or a dud?
Ask someone to name their top three vegetables and chances are the potato will make the cut. But why? On its own, a spud tastes of surprisingly little. And while it's now one of the world's most important food crops, outside its native South America the potato was once eyed with suspicion, and in parts of France it was even banned. Prompted by The Science Show's Belinda Smith, a self-confessed potato superfan, we ask a food scientist, a historian and a farmer how the potato became a perennial fa
October 9 · 28 min
How vegetables lost their flavour (and how to get it back)
Why does so much supermarket veg taste of not much at all? Over the past century, vegetables have been bred for yield, shelf life and good looks, and flavour has often been the casualty. The range of plants we eat has narrowed too. Of the thousands of plant species humans have cultivated for food, about 200 now dominate. That loss of biodiversity is about more than taste; it also affects our food security. So can we breed flavour — and resilience — back into our vegetables? Guests: Dan Barber,
October 2 · 28 min
Fufu for beginners — The rise of African food in Australia
Food is a great unifier. It brings us together as a multicultural community (who doesn't love a good feed?) and it can foster a deeper connection to our own heritage. Right now, the many and varied cuisines of Africa are on the rise in Australia. Through recipes and ingredients passed hand to hand and heart to heart, more African flavours and dishes are finding their way out of the home and onto restaurant menus, festival stalls and your social media feed, gaining new fans every day. Guests: F
September 25 · 28 min
How a kid from Newcastle made Michelin history
You'd be hard-pressed to find an Australian-born chef as successful as Brett Graham. His London restaurant, The Ledbury, is ranked among the best in the UK, and he is the first Australian chef and restaurant owner to be awarded three Michelin stars. Since his childhood in rural New South Wales, Brett Graham has seized every opportunity to learn, grow and impress as a chef. Now, he's gone back to his roots and added "farmer" to his list of achievements. So why, for all this praise and success, do
September 18 · 28 min
Donna Hay's recipe for success
Since her breakthrough as food editor for Marie Claire, and then going it alone with a magazine and numerous cookbooks under her own name, Donna Hay is now synonymous with Australian home cooking. In this episode, Donna Hay, who has around 30 bestsellers under her belt, shares her recipe-writing dos and don'ts, explains why she was once better known internationally than in Australia and reveals her number-one pick for Radio National’s Top 100 Australian Books countdown. Guest: Donna Hay, food
September 11 · 28 min
The books that feed Australia
What makes a great Australian book? If your criteria include books that inspire, inform and instruct, then surely some of your flour-dusted, oil-stained cookbooks would be among the greatest. In this episode, we meet a woman who, during her 50 years in the Australian Women's Weekly Test Kitchen, witnessed several revolutions in Australian cookbook publishing, including the publication of The Australian Women's Weekly Children's Birthday Cake Book. And we ask a food writer with a huge online foll
September 4 · 28 min
Keep it simple with Yotam Ottolenghi
Yotam Ottolenghi, the man who inspired a generation of cooks to seek out obscure ingredients and commit to hours of prep time, has a new mantra: embrace the shortcut. While he once believed the flavourful fruits of his kitchen labour were their own reward, Yotam says his primary concern these days is: 'Will someone actually cook this?' He preached this gospel in his 2018 cookbook Simple. But, he says, food and cooking have changed a lot since then. In Simple Too, he refines that approach. Guest
August 28 · 28 min
Trust your gut — How to feed your 'second brain'
Trillions of micro-organisms are living inside you right now. For the most part, these microbes are working for us, breaking down food and producing chemicals that keep us healthy. They also train our immune system, and scientists now wonder if they influence our mood and behaviour. So which foods keep us and our microbes healthy? We have had a 'gut feeling' about those foods for millennia, but today's mod cons may be standing between you and a healthy gut. Guests: Paul Froomes, gastroenterolo
August 21 · 28 min
Waste not — The art of using everything
Every year, Australia wastes around 7.6 million tonnes of food at a cost of more than $36 billion, adding thousands of dollars to the average household budget. In this episode, we explore creative solutions to this urgent problem. Food loss and food waste occur at every stage of the supply chain, from paddock to plate. So, where does the greatest loss occur, and how can we all help prevent it? Guests: Simon Lockrey, Professor at RMIT University's School of Design and REDUCE Program Leader at E
August 14 · 28 min
A feast for the senses — Taste beyond the tongue
Guest presenter Matt Preston and three-Michelin-starred chef Kyle Connaughton of SingleThread consider how weather conditions, flowers in the room, colours on the plate, and even the plate itself can enhance the dining experience. Some of these phenomena are well documented by science, as Barry C. Smith, founding director of the Centre for the Study of the Senses at the University of London, explains. Guests: Kyle Connaughton, chef and co-owner of SingleThread, awarded three Michelin stars and
August 7 · 28 min
Wildflower power – Bringing petals to your pantry
As ABC Radio National prepares to crown Australia's most amazing wildflower for National Science Week, guest host Matt Preston is on the hunt for Australia's most DELICIOUS wildflower. From flavouring cordials with sweet nectar to foraging for exotic blooms to turn into fritters, flowers are an untapped culinary resource. But as our guests explain, when it comes to sourcing native flowers, it's important to tread lightly. Guests: Mindy Woods, Bundjalung chef and native food expert Clarence Slo
July 31 · 28 min
Jo Barrett's future-focussed food
Guest presenter Matt Preston meets Jo Barrett, a world-renowned Australian chef and leading figure in sustainable food innovation. From humble beginnings in French-style bistros, Jo has become influential in the fields of low-waste cooking, local sourcing, and wild game hunting, all while keeping her menus flavourful and accessible. Guests: Jo Barrett, leader in sustainable food innovation, executive chef at the Surf Hotel, co-founder of Discovered Wildfoods Get in touch: We'd love to hear f
July 24 · 28 min
A daily grind — The story of pepper
While pepper is now ever-present on dining tables around the world, there was a time when this unassuming dried fruit was one of the most valuable commodities on Earth. Its trade changed the course of history and helped reshape the world as we know it. In this episode, we explore the ancient and modern history of pepper, examining its origins, trade, and, of course, its deliciousness. Guests: Sebastian Prange, historian at the University of British Columbia and author of Monsoon Islam: Trade a
July 17 · 28 min
Why am I hungry? The science of appetite
What is appetite? Many happily succumb to it, while others struggle against it through willpower or even pharmaceuticals. But what are the biological, cultural and psychological mechanisms that make us want to eat? These questions are increasingly complicated in this era of unprecedented abundance and ubiquitous food. Guest: Giles Yeo, Professor at The University of Cambridge and author of Gene Eating: The Story of Human Appetite and Why Calories Don't Count: How We Got the Science of Weight L
July 10 · 28 min
Sourdough superstar Richard Hart
If you were to list the world's best bakers working today, Richard Hart's name would have to be near the top. After honing his craft at renowned bakeries in California, he teamed up with the world-famous Noma to open Hart Bageri in Copenhagen. His skills with sourdough are so well-known that he was even namechecked on The Bear. Richard recently published his first book. It's called Richard Hart Bread. Guest: Richard Hart, baker and chef, co-founder of Hart Bageri in Copenhagen and Green Rhino i
July 3 · 28 min
The taste of place — Australian native ingredients
What characterises Australian food? We're a nation adept at making first-rate versions of food drawn from all corners of the globe, but our palates are less familiar with the foods of our own backyard. For millennia, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people have cultivated and enjoyed uniquely Australian foods. So, why are these ingredients still so hard to find on supermarket shelves? Guests: Mark Olive, Bundjalung man, ambassador chef at Midden Nornie Bero, Torres Strait Islander, chef a
June 26 · 28 min
Half an onion — The singular pleasure of cooking alone
Melt some butter in a hot pan, throw in a handful of diced onions and suddenly — even if it's a meal just for you — you are cooking. When you don't have a family to feed or anyone to impress, it's never been easier to buy a single meal from the frozen food section of your supermarket or order one on an app. But what might we deny ourselves by making those choices? In this second episode on solo dining, we explore the joys and practicalities of cooking for one. Guests: Eric Kim, food columnist
June 19 · 28 min
Table for one — The singular pleasure of eating alone
Cooking and eating are often characterised as communal activities. To some, the idea of cooking or eating alone conjures images of loneliness, isolation — perhaps even wasted time. Whether you've chosen a solitary life, are yet to settle down, or find yourself living alone in later life, our guests today insist that cooking for oneself can be a powerful act of self-care. Guests: Kate Legge, journalist, novelist and author of Delicious: Stories of Cooking, Love and Friendship Signe Johansen, co
June 12 · 28 min
Risk it for the brisket — How BBQ called KG from Cairo
An epiphanic encounter with Texas-style barbeque led Kareem "KG" El-Ghayesh to quit his lucrative finance career in Cairo and relocate to Austin to open a food truck. KG BBQ has since become a household name, boasting both Texan authenticity and innovative tweaks inspired by the flavours of his original homeland. So, who better to introduce us to this unique and regionally specific cuisine than a man who — having never tasted Texas BBQ growing up — became one of the state's best-known pitmasters

Showing 1–20 of 20 episodes